New top dog Akbayan eyes priority anti-dynasty law

The frontrunner partylist, Akbayan, is poised to file a proposed law seeking to prohibit families engaged in politics from succeeding one after the other amid the dominance of dynasties in the country, as made evident by the recently concluded elections.

Rep. Percival Cendaña said in an interview on Thursday that the anti-political dynasty bill would be part of the first key measures they intend to file in the opening of the 20th Congress in July. Other proposals include legislation against contractualization (anti-endo), the SOGIE Equality Bill, and a P5,000 monthly subsidy for college students.

Cendaña explained that their group, which is expected to secure three seats in the House of Representatives, will revive efforts to craft an enabling law on political dynasties, as mandated by the 1987 Constitution.

"We were among those who passed the SK Reform Law, where we included an anti-political dynasty provision. We plan to expand it to cover other branches of government as well," he stated.

In a separate interview on Thursday, returning Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III reiterated his support for outlawing political dynasties but emphasized the need for clarity in the law's definition to avoid unfair disqualification.

“We need a proper definition of it, otherwise we will disfranchise some people and favor others. So, it needs to be clear. I agree with that as long as it is defined properly,” he explained in Filipino, citing concerns such as children born out of wedlock running for office.

Sotto also asserted that political dynasties should not be confined to local positions alone and must apply equally to those seeking national posts.

Political dynasty refers to the continuity of leadership or public office within one family, clan, or persons related to one another, wherein they hold government positions across generations or simultaneously.

Watchdog groups have long argued that political dynasties weaken checks and balances and violate the Constitution’s provision ensuring equal access to public service.

Ironically, Congress itself — tasked with passing laws and constitutional amendments — is largely dominated by political families. Passing such a law would require lawmakers to potentially dismantle their own political strongholds.

Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel previously filed an anti-dynasty bill on 5 July 2022 during the 19th Congress. However, nearly three years later, the measure has made no significant progress.

Two similar bills were also filed during the 18th Congress but failed to move beyond the committee level — reflecting the repeated fate of such proposals in past legislative sessions.